AIMS: Our purpose was to report the clinical and pathological findings from uveal melanoma patients with persistent exudative retinal detachment (RD) after Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKR). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed. RESULTS: GKR was performed on 19 uveal melanoma patients from 2004 to 2006, and 5 of them developed persistent exudative RD. The mean initial largest basal tumor diameter in these 5 patients was 14.4 +/- 1.9 mm, and the mean tumor height was 9.2 +/- 1.0 mm. Marginal doses of 40-50 Gy radiation were administered. RD developed or had become aggravated an average of 3 (1-10) months after GKR. Two patients underwent enucleation, while the remaining 3 underwent tumor removal by endoresection with retinal reattachment surgery by vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade. These procedures were undertaken an average of 6.3 (1.5-14) months after radiation and 3.3 (0.5-5) months after the onset or aggravation of RD. Histologically 4 tumors showed 50-100% necrosis without any mitotic activity. Thus local tumor control after GKR appeared sufficient regardless of RD. CONCLUSION: Aggravation or development of exudative RD after GKR does not necessarily entail treatment failure. Therefore, retinal reattachment surgery in persistent exudative RD may be an option to preserve the eye.
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